


The Ceremony

by mcmachine



Series: Meant To Be [9]
Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-17
Updated: 2018-08-17
Packaged: 2019-06-28 13:39:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15708348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcmachine/pseuds/mcmachine
Summary: April and Jackson attend the Harper Avery awards together.





	The Ceremony

**_ APRIL _ **

"Are you sure that this isn't too much?"

I gave a half-spin in the mirror to examine the dress at every angle, chewing at the bottom of my lip. It was hard to decide whether or not it was the right one. A plethora of different dresses had been tried on in the past two hours with Arizona, and after so many, it was hard to remember which ones I had really liked and what looked better on a hanger than when I had actually put it on my body. This one was nice, though. The color complimented my skin tone and it was well-fitted, I just couldn't decide if it fit my personality. Arizona had been the one to pull it off the rack.

"I love it." The blonde beamed at me, clasping her hands together. "I think it's perfect and if you don't buy it, I'm going to buy it and make you wear it myself. Seriously, it's the perfect mix of classy and sexy."

"Really?" I questioned again, raising my brow as I turned to look at her.

"Really. If I was going to the Harper Avery's, then I would want to look as good as you do right now. And, it's going to be even better once you have your hair and makeup all done. Do you know how you're going to wear it yet?" Arizona asked eagerly, stepping forward and tucking my hair behind my ear.

I shook my head. "No, I was waiting until I got the dress to figure it out," I answered.

"Well, you're going to have to figure it out soon, because I want to know," she chuckled. "I wish I could come with you guys and help you get ready."

"I'm already a plus one. I don't think a plus one gets a plus one." I mused.

"No, you are the wife of an Avery. Which means technically you can do whatever you want."

I laughed loudly. "I wish. But I don't think that's the case."

"Well, either way, I'm excited for you. This is a long overdue thing for you. I know you wanted to go last year but Harriet was sick and one of you had to stay home, and there's a long list of excuses for why you haven't done yet." She gave me a pointed look as she spoke. Truthfully, I had always been a little nervous to go. It had been easy to come up with excuses.

"I'm excited," I smiled and gave a nod of my head. "I know Jackson always acts like he dreads having to go, but I am excited. It'll be a great opportunity to meet other surgeons and here about what they're working on." I turned around. "Will you unzip it?"

With her assistance, I get out of the dress and back into the jeans and blouse that I had come into the store wearing. Trying on dress after dress after dress had been more exhausting of a task than I had planned, but it seemed like Arizona was still full of energy despite that she had been assisting me with it for the past two hours. It was the first time that I was getting to go to the actual Harper Avery awards and ceremony. I wanted to make a good impression and, well, I wanted to blow Jackson away just a little bit. Since becoming parents, we hadn't gotten a lot of opportunities to get dressed up all nice and fancy and go out together.

"So you're going with this one, right?" Arizona asked once I had stepped out.

"Yep. I figure you're twisting my arm into now or later," I teased with a smile.

Purchasing the dress and trying not to cringe too hard at the price of the dress, I reminded myself how special and important this event was going to be. Arizona didn't seem phased by it – but I knew she, like most of my coworkers, weren't as frugal as I tended to be. I had no real reason to be anymore, Jackson and I both made plenty of money and he had more than I could even imagine reasonably using saved away in a bank account somewhere. Yet spending five hundred dollars on a dress still seemed ridiculous and unnecessary to me.

Parting ways with Arizona once everything had been completed, I headed back to the house. I had waited until the last minute to get my dress – well, technically, that wasn't true. I had gone out twice before and not been able to settle on anything. But I knew this would pair nicely with some nude heels and I could find jewelry that I already owned to match it.

The actual award ceremony was held in the middle of the week in Boston. We had each taken off Wednesday and Thursday to accommodate it, flying out Tuesday night and staying in the city for two nights as well. I had never actually been to Boston, and Jackson wanted to show me around to some of his childhood memories and other favorite spots in the city. There was so much of the world that I still hadn't seen yet, so even a simple trip to the other side of the country was more than enough excitement for me. Getting to go to the award ceremony just happened to be the icing on the cake.

"April, are you almost ready to go?" Jackson called out from downstairs.

"Yeah, just a minute!" I shut my suitcase and zipped it quickly, picking it up to lug it down the stairs. The dress was already in the car and everything else I needed was in the bag. "I'm ready. Are you sure it's okay to leave Harriet alone?"

"It's just two nights with Owen. We'll be home this time on Thursday." He reminded me, stepping forward to take my suitcase from me and load it into the back of the car. "The jet is waiting."

"Right, you're right," I murmured, getting into the car with him.

The Avery jet was something that we very rarely used. Part of it was because we didn't have a need for it, most of the time. Jackson didn't travel for the foundation a lot and we both liked to just stay at home with the kids. But stepping on board of it is an immediate luxury. Wide, comfortable chairs and champagne before we had even taken off. It was crazy to think that this was something that Jackson didn't have to bat an eyelash about paying for.

It's not a terribly long flight, yet by the time that we arrive, it's well past two in the morning because of the time zone changes. It doesn't feel nearly that late even if we were both just a bit groggy getting off the plane from being stuck on it so long.

We don't have to stay at a hotel. Instead, a car picked us up directly from the airport and drove us to one of the Avery family homes. The city was mostly asleep at this time, not still but managing to be quiet. It's hard to see anything but from first glance, it doesn't look drastically different from any other city that I've been in. The roads are just as confusing and a little on the narrow side, the sidewalks are a bit small, but otherwise, it seemed rather ordinary. But I had heard Jackson and Catherine talk about it, and I knew that it must have been magnificent during the day.

"So, this is where I grew up…" Jackson introduced as we pulled up to the house.

"Wow," I murmured, leaning closer to the window. "I can just imagine you running around with all your friends, making a ruckus, your mother stepping out to tell you to be quiet," I teased, wrapping my arm around his.

"I wasn't that much trouble," he chuckled. "At least, not when we were at my house."

"Come on, let's go in."

As the car pulled to a stop outside of the house, we got out. The driver took our luggage inside for us and Jackson thanked him and tipped him before giving me the grand tour. It was bigger than the house we had in Seattle, despite being empty, some of the furniture and decor a little outdated – but it was certainly beautiful and well-lit. It must have been a hit among socialites when Jackson had been young.

"This place is beautiful, Jackson…" I murmured, running my fingers along the banister as I followed him up the stairs. "I can't believe that I've never been here before, after all these years."

"I'm glad you're here now," he glanced back at me. "And I'm really glad I get to take you to my bedroom."

Following him up the stairs of the house, his bedroom was the right door on the left. It was much bigger than the bedroom that I had shared with Libby growing up, dark blue walls with white baseboards and a mahogany bed frame, a dark gray duvet and minimal pillows covering it. It seemed like he hadn't liked using decorative pillows any more as a child than he did now.

Given that it was late and there was going to be a long day tomorrow, more so for him than it was to me, we don't dilly dally too much. We get ready for bed and curled up around one another beneath the sheets. It's a full bed, not the usual king that we were used to, but it doesn't matter when we're this close to each other. It doesn't take long before I can hear the steady sound of his breathing and slight snoring just behind my neck. When we'd first been in bed together, it'd been a little bit annoying. But now, it's the sound that I fall asleep to most comfortably.

Morning comes quickly. Jackson had a few activities that he needed to get done with his mother to prepare for the award ceremony. I would catch up with him later that night at the actual ceremony. My day was spent in the Museum of Fine Arts. Boston had one of the largest in the country and I knew that art museums weren't his favorite museum, which made it easy to get lost in there for hours. It's not until a reminder on my phone goes off that I catch a cab back to his house in a rush.

The house was empty when I get there. My dress was laid out in the bed, still in the garment bag. I'd wanted to keep it a surprise from Jackson, but now, I couldn't wait for his reaction.

Rinsing off with a quick shower, I take my time blow drying my hair and combing through it, making sure that it would be silky soft once it was done. The flat iron heats up while I put on a layer of foundation across the clean skin, a little more careful than usual. Most days I just wore a little bit of makeup, enough to make sure that I didn't have any bags beneath my eyes and mascara, but for tonight, I would of a full face. When my hair was curled, I carefully do a waterfall braid across the back, meticulous in making sure no pieces stood out. Once I was satisfied with that, I bent over the counter and put on the rest of my makeup, carefully filling in my brows and doing a silvery smoky eye. A layer of string spray to make sure everything was fine and in place, I took a step back, examining it.

This was going to impress Jackson, I was sure of it.

Stepping out of the bathroom, I take off my robe and put on a thin thong, one that wouldn't show panty lines. Given that the back of the dress was sheer but bejeweled with sequins, there would be no bra worn with it. That was something that he was definitely going to like once he realized it.

Very carefully, I unzipped the dress and hung it out, examining it once more. It was a floor-length Terani evening gown with a delicate illusion bodice covered in sequins with a wraparound design and long illusion sleeves. There was an asymmetric peplum at the waist and finally, the long, smooth skirt with a side slit that would show a little leg. It was a blush pink, soft and feminine. Dangling earrings and my wedding ring were the only things that I needed to pair it with. The dress spoke for itself.

"April?" My husband's voice called out suddenly.

"Just a minute!" I shouted. I hadn't even heard him come in. "Don't come up!"

Unzipping the dress and taking it off the hanger, I'm careful to get in it. It was form fitting but not too tight, and I'm extra careful with my nails to not accidentally rip any of the sheerness on the bodice or sleeves. It takes some twisting to be able to get the zipper up the length of my back, but once I toss my hair back over my shoulders and look at myself in the mirror, I realize that it's worth it.

Arizona had been right. It was the perfect dress. With my hair done and everything else, I could see it now. It was a mixture of sophisticated and sexy. I looked more like a high-class woman than I had in a long time. A smile brightened my lips and I stared at my reflection for a moment. Rarely was I arrogant. But I could be in this moment, looking at myself in the mirror. I almost looked like Princess Ariel in a modern dress. The Little Mermaid always had been my favorite movie growing up.

"April–" The door opened suddenly as Jackson entered.

"Jackson!" I shouted, turning around and attempting to cover my front. "You weren't supposed to see yet!"

"April…" He repeated my name. His jaw was slack and he was openly staring at me, running his hand over his face for a moment and rubbing his chin. "Wow. You look… breathtaking, sweetheart. You look so beautiful." The compliments flooded from his lips quickly.

I glanced down at my toes before back up at him. "Really?" I questioned, chewing my lower lip.

"Really," Jackson stepped forward and closed the distance between us quickly, lifting up my chin so that our eyes met. "You look so beautiful, April. God… if I'd known that you were going to look like this, I would have twisted your arm into coming with one of these things years ago." Before I had the chance to speak again, he lowered his mouth to mine and sealed his lips over mine in a hard kiss. I returned it softly, not wanting to smudge any of my makeup.

"Well, you better get dressed then," I said once our lips were parted, placing my hands on his shoulder. "I still have to put on my heels. I guess it's about time to go, so you better hurry." I reminded him.

While he got dressed, I sat down on the bed and put my heels on before waiting. Now that I was dressed and waiting on him, I could feel little butterflies in the pit of my stomach. For the most part, as I had gotten older and grown into myself, a lot of those nerves that had afflicted me when I was a child had dissipated. But now they were here all over again. This was a big event. I was going not just as a trauma surgeon but also as an Avery, as the wife of the famous Harper Avery's grandson. I was representing both myself and the family. Even though I knew Jackson wouldn't put any pressure on me, that didn't mean that it wasn't there.

"Are you ready to go?" Jackson asked once he finished up, adjusting his watch.

"I am." I nodded, taking the hand that he extended and standing up.

When we got downstairs, there was a limo waiting outside for the two of us. I knew that a car was going to pick us up, but that was even fancier than what I had been expecting. The driver got the door for the both of us and I was careful of my dress as I got into it. Catherine was already sitting in the length of the vehicle, waiting for us.

"Oh, April," she cooed. "You look beautiful, darling, beautiful. I'm so glad that you could come this year."

"Thank you," I smiled, leaning into Jackson as he wrapped his arm around me.

"Are we going to be on time?" Jackson asked as the limo began to move.

"Well, yes, no thanks to you too," Catherine stated with a pointed look. "But we should be just fine to get there and get everything started. You'll both have some time to socialize, of course. And April, you'll be seated with the rest of us. Richard should already be there." She explained.

I nodded along. "I'm just glad that Cristina is going to be there," I stated with a smile. "She's deserved a Harper Avery for a long time. I would be shocked if anyone else won."

Even if Cristina and I hadn't always been on the most friendly terms, that had mostly been during my residency compared to the years that we had both spent there after our boards had been taken. But I knew that she was one of the most talented surgeons of our generation and that if anyone deserved a Harper Avery award, it was most certainly her. I didn't know too much about the other nominees, but I couldn't imagine any of them putting up a lot of competition against her. She was legendary.

Traffic is easy to navigate and the drive doesn't seem like too long before we arrive. The door is opened for all three of us and I let Catherine get out first before I following her, straightening up and smoothing out my dress. Tons of people were already there and gathered, a few quick to approach once they recognized Catherine and Jackson.

"I'm going to see if I can find Cristina," I murmured in Jackson's ear, patting his arm gently as I separated.

It doesn't take too much effort to find her in the crowd. Her hair was the same as it had always been and she had a voice that carried, even in noisy situations. She was surrounded by a few other people, no doubt trying to poke and prod her brain to try and see if they could be anywhere as talented as she was one day. I didn't blame them. I would have loved to be as talented as she was.

"Cristina!" I squealed, getting a hand on her shoulder.

"Kepner." Her voice was surprised, pleasant though not as enthusiastic. "I didn't know that you'd be here."

"I don't usually come," I admitted with a shrug. "But I'm so glad that I could this year. You deserve it more than anyone. I'm happy for you. Congratulations ahead of time, because you're absolutely going to get it this year."

My words prove to be true. When everyone was sitting at the tables and the typical speeches were made, I sit with anticipation for the winner's name to be announced. I can't help but glance at her every now and then. I was sure that her excitement must have been even more intense than mine was. She had always been arrogant, it was a part of her talent no doubt, and I imagined that she had to be sure she would win, too. She had been so close the first time and the only thing that I had stopped it then had been the fact that she worked at an Avery hospital. Now, that was out of the way.

When her name was announced as the winner, I clapped and cheered for her, hanging onto every word that left her lips as she gave her speech. It was a happy moment. The excitement of being here was big enough, but it was even more gratifying to know the winner and know just how deserving of it she was.

Once all of the formalities are over, Jackson and I are side-by-side in a group of people, listening to the chatter about the research that had been done and nominated this year. I knew that I would never be able to earn an Avery myself given that I was married to Jackson, but it was exciting to think about research that I could have done that would have been award-worthy. My satisfaction wasn't dependent on recognition.

"Hey, babe?" Jackson murmured, lips brushing against my ear with the whisper.

"Mmhm?" I muttered, looking up at him.

"Are you about ready to go? Because as gorgeous as you look in that dress... I'm about ready to take it off of you." There was a smirk on his face.

"Yeah, I think I am."


End file.
